Beer

Bass - A large brewer, with several drinks under their control, but considering this, Bass can be a pretty good pint.

Beamish - The main competitor to Guinness, brewed exclusively in Cork, Ireland, and a very good stout too.

Black Sheep - A nice beer from an independant brewery set up by Paul Theakston.

Boddingtons - the cream of Manchester, according to those cool adverts. However, not always a beer to live up to its name. Perhaps it doesn't travel, but all too often this pint can be quite thin and not at all creamy. That said, however, there is always Boddingtons Gold, which is stronger and definitely creamier. Try this one, but watch out for it catching up on you after a few pints - it can slip down very easily!

Bombardier - I had the pleasure of sampling a few pints of this one a while ago, and if you happen across it, do try it. Quite smooth, with a definite fruity taste to it. Definitely a winter beer.

Caffrey's - Well, I've put it in, but I'm none too keen on this "cream ale" which is quite fashionable at the moment. Usually too cold, often tasteless, and it almost always takes ages to pour.

Director's - Grand stuff. Dark, rich and very tasty. An excellent all round pint.

Flowers - Well, as far as I know, this comes from the same stable as Boddingtons, and all too often tastes as though it literally came from a stable. If, however, you do find a place where it is well kept then it can be a passable pint.

Greene King - I have bunched a few beers, all from the above brewery, in one section here. They include the IPA, which seems to vary in quality around here quite considerably. At best, its quite pleasant, light and malty. At worst its like dirty washing up water. Abbot Ale is darker, and slightly stronger. This seems to be more consistent, and is usually quite a nice pint. Rarer, but often worth paying the extra for, include Black Baron and XX Dark. I actually read somewhere that Greene King use organic techniques and no artificial additives in their brewing, which could account for the varying quality.

Guinness - Ok, so strictly not an "ale", but the King of Stouts deserves a mention. Check at the links section below for some good pages.

John Smiths - This can be found in its native form or in an 'extra smooth' variety. Both are pretty average, although the standard has a tendancy to be too fizzy, and the smooth to be a little on the thin side. However, similar to Tetley, you can drink a lot of these in a session.

Nethergate - I first tried some of these brewers beers at a beer festival, and its nice to see them becoming more common in good pubs. Old Growler, for example, is a lovely dark, thick beer. Another, Golden Gate, is a REAL bitter - try this one out first, as it can be an acquired taste.

Old Speckled Hen - This beer occurs in such a wide range of quality, it can be difficult to know when to risk buying it. However, if you find a pub that does keep it well, its a nice middle of the road pint.

Pedigree - A fairly common beer, but quite good. It is stronger than it tastes, and has provided me with some of my worst beer-induced hangovers.

Shepherd Neame - This is Britains oldest brewery, situated in Kent (where I went to uni!). Their main brew is Bishops Finger, an excellent strong, malty beer. I've not seen it very often outside Kent, but try it if you get the chance.

Tetley's - If I'm on a longer drinking session, Tetley's is often a pretty good pint. Sometimes it can have a bit of an odd, acidic taste, but if you can avoid these it is a perfectly passable pint.

Theakston's - Superb beer. You can't really fault a good pint of Old Peculier, a dark, heavy flavoursome beer. It takes a while to drink, but this simply gives you more time to enjoy it. Others inlude Best and XB, both of which are good beers, but always try the Old Peculier.

Wadworth 6X - Another excellent beer, although sadly all too often not kept well enough which can turn an excellent pint into a pretty average pint. A good smooth fairly dark pint, it slides down a treat.

Worthington's - Usually only found in chilled, creamy form from those electric taps on bars, but even so it can be an acceptable standard pint.